Speed cameras in Spain: fixed, average speed, tolerance, fines, points

What to do before you set off

If you are going to drive in Spain, there are 3 practical things worth being clear about. First, check the speed camera map published by the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) on its website and note the average speed sections on your route. Second, on the road, watch out for the variable message signs and roadside signs announcing a speed check: the DGT places them far enough ahead of the camera. Third, remember that on an average speed section what counts is your average speed over several kilometres, not your speed as you pass under a camera.

Above all, do not drive relying on the tolerance. The DGT insists that drivers must respect the limits everywhere and at all times.

The types of speed camera you will come across

According to a report published by the DGT’s magazine, there are three main families of speed camera.

Fixed speed cameras. The DGT defines them as unmanned speed meters. They sit in armoured cabinets, on gantries over the carriageway or on posts at the roadside, and can monitor up to 4 lanes. They are installed on stretches of road with the highest accident rates. According to the DGT’s magazine, 90% are Doppler speed meters, using electromagnetic waves, and the rest use laser technology.

Mobile speed cameras. These are manned speed meters. They are carried in unmarked or official cars of the Guardia Civil Traffic Group and can measure with the vehicle moving or stationary. Another type is the camera carried on aircraft, such as the Pegasus helicopter.

Average speed cameras. These measure the average speed between 2 points. Many are in tunnels, although the DGT also installs them on motorways, dual carriageways and single carriageway roads.

To give an idea of the scale: the DGT’s magazine says that in 2005 there were about 90 cameras in operation, by 2010 the figure had risen to 300 and in December 2024 there were nearly 800 speed check points managed by the DGT on interurban roads.

How an average speed camera works

The DGT points out that these are not, strictly speaking, radars like speed meters. They are a system of cameras that record continuously:

• A camera at the start of the section identifies each vehicle’s number plate. There is one per lane.
• A twin camera at the end of the section reads the number plate again.
• The cameras synchronise their clocks by GPS every second.
• A computer matches identical number plates, checks the passing times and calculates the average speed.
• If the average exceeds the limit, the system automatically sends images and data on the offence so it can be processed.

In tunnels, because of the lighting conditions, the cameras use continuous infrared illumination that the human eye cannot detect, so do not expect to see any flash.

Average speed sections are signed in the same way as other fixed cameras, with the relevant sign placed in advance. According to the DGT’s magazine, the average length is 2 km and the longest is 23 km, on the CL615 local road in the province of Palencia. The DGT explains that this system is not suitable on roads with many slip roads or exits, roundabouts, rest areas or different limits within the same section, so it tends to appear on more uniform routes.

Average speed cameras have been in operation since 2010. The first came into service in summer 2010 in the Guadarrama tunnel, but DGT publications disagree on the road: a December 2024 report places it on the A-1 dual carriageway and another issue of the magazine on the A-6. The number of sections does not match either: one issue of the magazine mentions 64 average speed sections and the December 2024 report raises the figure to 90 sections.

Where the DGT publishes the location of its speed cameras

The DGT champions transparency as a policy. According to its magazine, it publishes the speed camera map on its website and warns of their presence on the road with variable message signs and roadside signs placed far enough ahead of the check.

The DGT also announced that it would publish on its website the road sections where it steps up enforcement with mobile speed cameras, adding them to the already public locations of fixed cameras, and that those mobile cameras would be visible to drivers. The then director of the DGT, María Seguí, explained that 1.200 sections of single carriageway roads identified as particularly relevant to speed management would be published. According to the DGT, the aim is for road users to become aware that roads vary in type and difficulty and to consider safer routes.

The margin: tolerance and device error

Here it is worth distinguishing 2 concepts that the DGT keeps clearly separate.

The tolerance threshold

This is the speed from which the DGT starts issuing fines. The DGT made this margin public for the first time in its history and quantified it:

• 7 km/h if the speed is below 100 km/h.
• 7% above 100 km/h.

DGT sources do not phrase it identically. María Seguí refers to the vehicle’s speed, below or above 100 km/h, whereas the DGT’s magazine says the 7% applies if the speed limit is above that figure. In practice, always drive below the signed limit.

According to the DGT’s magazine, all speed cameras, both fixed and mobile, apply this threshold, except those operating on board aircraft.

The margin of error

This is the device’s accuracy. The DGT’s magazine states that fixed cameras operate with a minimal margin of error, just 1%, and that every year they go to the Instituto Nacional de Metrología, which checks and calibrates them. María Seguí, for her part, refers to cameras certified by the Centro Nacional de Metrología that operate within the strictest legal margins of error.

General limits worth remembering

The General Traffic Regulations, published in the BOE, set some limits that often affect people travelling in Spain:

• On roads passing through towns, the general limit is 50 km/h for all types of vehicle. It can be lowered by agreement between the municipal authority and the road owner, with specific signage.
• On motorways and dual carriageways running through built up areas, the general limit is 80 km/h, which can be raised with specific signage without exceeding the limits for those roads outside built up areas.
• The municipal authority may, exceptionally, raise the limit to 50 km/h on roads with a single lane in each direction, with specific signage.
• On roads through towns and on certain urban roads, vehicles carrying dangerous goods travel at a maximum of 40 km/h.

This same article of the regulations was amended with effect from 1 October 2026 by Royal Decree 518/2026 of 24 June. If you are travelling from that date, check the current text in the BOE before setting off.

The DGT also announced a project for speed cameras to identify the type of offending vehicle and apply each one’s specific limit, so do not assume the car limit applies to your van or caravan.

Speeding fines and points

Under the regulations, speeding counts as a serious or very serious offence, depending on the excess, in accordance with articles 76.a) and 77.a) of the Traffic Act.

What the DGT says

The DGT summarises the general penalties as follows:

• Minor offences: a fine of up to 100€, with no points deducted.
• Serious offences: a fine of 200€, with points deducted for some.
• Very serious offences: a fine of 500€, with points always deducted.

The DGT warns that, depending on the seriousness of the facts, the fine may be higher.

What the 2014 BOE table sets out

The speeding table published in the BOE in 2014 sets bands for each limit. For the first bands of serious speeding:

• With a 50 km/h limit: from 51 to 70 km/h, 100€ with no points; from 71 to 80 km/h, 300€ and 2 points.
• With a 90 km/h limit: up to 120 km/h, 100€ with no points; above 120 km/h, 300€ and 2 points.
• With a 120 km/h limit: moderate excess, 100€ with no points; greater excess, 300€ and 2 points.

The amounts in this table do not match the 200€ the DGT gives for serious offences. Before paying or appealing, check the current amount on the DGT offences and penalties page.

Exceptions and special cases

• Pegasus helicopter: the tolerance of 7 km/h or 7% does not apply to speed cameras on board aircraft.
• Catalonia, the Basque Country and towns: each authority decides its own tolerance margin.
• Traffic lights on roads through towns: the DGT explained that speed cameras and red light cameras were being installed at traffic lights on a significant number of roads through towns.
• New average speed cameras: the DGT announced the installation of about 30 average speed cameras, mainly on single carriageway roads, replacing some fixed ones.

Quick checklist before your trip

• Check the DGT speed camera map and locate the average speed sections on your route.
• Check the specific limit for your type of vehicle, especially if you drive a van, tow a trailer or carry dangerous goods.
• On an average speed section, keep a steady speed below the limit for the whole route.
• Do not rely on the tolerance in towns, in Catalonia or in the Basque Country.
• If you are travelling from 1 October 2026, check the current text of the General Traffic Regulations in the BOE.
• If you receive a fine, verify the amount and points on the DGT website.